Former NHL All-Star Danny Gare Joins Columbus Blue Jackets as Color Analyst on FSN Ohio BroadcastsGare played 13 seasons in NHL before embarking on broadcast career that has spanned 14 years

Former NHL All-Star Danny Gare Joins Columbus Blue Jackets as Color Analyst on FSN Ohio BroadcastsGare played 13 seasons in NHL before embarking on broadcast career that has spanned 14 years

Former National Hockey League All-Star and longtime broadcaster Danny Gare has been named the color analyst for Columbus Blue Jackets games on FSN Ohio, the club and network announced Wednesday. Gare will team with play-by-play announcer Jeff Rimer on Blue Jackets telecasts on the network beginning this fall.

"Danny Gare is a terrific addition to our broadcast team on FSN Ohio, and we feel very fortunate to be able to welcome him to the Blue Jackets organization," said club Senior Vice-President of Business Operations Larry Hoepfner. "Danny has tremendous knowledge of and passion for the game of hockey, and, with Jeff Rimer, will give us one of the most experienced and talented broadcast teams in the NHL."

Gare (pronounced GAIR) brings 14 years of broadcasting experience to the booth, having served as a color analyst, studio analyst and ice level reporter on Buffalo Sabres broadcasts from 1987 to 1992 and 1995 to 2004. He was also the television color analyst for the Tampa Bay Lightning during their inaugural 1992-93 season before moving behind the bench to serve as an assistant coach from 1993-95.

"Danny Gare has parlayed a very successful 13-year NHL playing career into a solid broadcasting career and will be a great addition to FSN Ohio's Blue Jackets' productions," said FSN Ohio Vice-President and General Manager Steve Liverani.

Gare played 13 seasons in the NHL from 1974-87, registering 354 goals and 331 assists for 685 points with 1,285 penalty minutes in 827 career games with the Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and Edmonton Oilers. He was a Second Team NHL All-Star with Buffalo in 1979-80, appeared in two All-Star Games (1980 and 1981) and also represented Team Canada at the 1976 and 1981 Canada Cup Tournaments.

A native of Nelson, British Columbia, Gare was the Sabres' second pick, 29th overall, in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft and was also tabbed by the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey League that year. He signed with Buffalo, where would become one of the franchise's top players in seven-plus seasons with the club. As a rookie in 1974-95, he finished third in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy and led Buffalo to the Stanley Cup Finals. He went on to register one 40-goal and two 50-goals seasons with the club and was the Sabres' captain from 1977 to 1981. He was elected to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, the Sabres Hall of Fame in 1994 and had his jersey No. 18 retired on Nov. 22, 2005.

Gare joined the Red Wings in 1981 and played four-plus seasons in Detroit. He served as the club's captain from 1982-86 and was a teammate of Blue Jackets Head Coach Gerard Gallant with the Red Wings. He wrapped up his career with the Oilers in 1986-87.

"I'm very excited to be joining a great organization. The Blue Jackets are a team on the rise and I have great respect for Gerard Gallant, who I played with in Detroit," said Gare. "I broadcast the game the way I played, with passion and emotion, and I'm looking forward to working with Jeff Rimer. I think we're going to have great chemistry in the booth."